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Marvel to Promote 'Death of Wolverine' With 'Memorial Kits'

Skottie Young/Marvel Entertainment

Comic book retailers will be able to use the kit, which includes lithographs and postcards, to build interest in the September series.

Ahead of the much-hyped September death of the publisher’s most-popular X-Man, Marvel Entertainment has revealed plans for comic stores to promote the Death of Wolverine series with a special “memorial kit” of artwork, giveaways and more. Because nothing says “serious story treated with a lot of gravitas” like a promotional memorial kit.

“Charles Soule and Steve McNiven have something really special planned for Death of Wolverine, and we’re planning to help commemorate the first issue of the series with a memorial at your local comic shop,” Marvel senior vp sales David Gabrieltold the Comic Book Resources website. “Participating shops will receive special memorial cards, Skottie Young lithographs and more. And for those of you that need a little levity in this moment of sadness, there’s also an exclusive Deadpool variant cover available.”

The official lineup for the memorial kit includes a lithograph featuring a kid version of Wolverine by Rocket Raccoon cartoonist Young, Pascal Ferry’s Deadpool alternative cover — in which the character stands over the corpse of Wolverine, telling the reader “I didn’t do it” — as well as promotional postcards and “memorial cards.”

The kit will be available to retailers to raise interest in the series, which Marvel claims will end the career of the character that first appeared 40 years ago this year. (It is worth noting, however, that this wouldn’t be the first time that Wolverine has died and other high-profile deaths in Marvel titles over the last few years — the Human Torch’s, Spider-Man’s and Captain America’s to name but a few — have all ended in their full recovery.) Death of Wolverine runs weekly throughout September.